Speaker
Description
Arthropods comprise 75% of the earth’s living organisms. At the same time, only 10% of all conservation actions target arthropods — a mismatch that poses a significant threat to global biodiversity. Increasing urbanization in the world reduces nature experiences for city dwellers, effectively alienating people from nature. Urban environments provide few habitats for most insect species. The resulting increased contact with resilient, non-charismatic species can, in turn, lead to generalized misidentification of insects as pests. Simultaneously, peoples’ motivation for conservation behaviour rises with stronger nature connectedness. Furthermore, previous research has pointed out the mental health benefits associated with natural environments, necessitating investigations into possible interventions to reduce stigma against insects and enable a positive and nurturing relationship with our environment.
This study was conducted in three ecotourism lodges in high biodiversity environments in the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest. We investigate the impact of eco-tourism and participation in citizen science projects on insect perception, mental well-being and willingness to engage in nature conservation efforts. Participants (N=100) were either holidaymakers or enrolled as citizen scientists in Wired Amazon, a series of structured citizen science programs offered on site. Participants completed online surveys on mental health and well-being as well as their perception towards insects at different time-points during their ecotourism experience (booking, arrival, departure, follow-up).
Our study (1) evaluates the influence of citizen science activity in a high biodiversity environment on insect perception and mental wellbeing, (2) investigates the factors driving nature conservation behaviour and (3) tests the longevity of resulting mental wellbeing benefits beyond duration of the program. The aim of this project is to better understand the perception of insects and its effect on the willingness to protect our biodiverse environment.
| Status Group | Master Student |
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